Mother's Day
by My Lovely Yume
Summary: One night, Kratos takes his son outside to enjoy the Flanoir snow. But Fate, Destiny, and Time have plans for him. It's Mother's Day. Story of the Locket. [Kranna, KratosxAnna] [One shot]


Hmm. After the encouragement of some really good friends, I got my creativity back! Mother's Day is coming up, and who better to write a fan fiction about than the best Tales of Symphonia mom: Anna. Right now, a lot is going on in my life (grandmother had surgery, friend's father died, drama in school, college, prom, deadlines) so I decided to write something relaxing.

Read and rate: I'll return the favor when I have the chance. This is a **Kranna**, **KratosxAnna**. Which means, it has spoilers.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Anna would be a goddess

(**Edit:** Thanks to everyone who commented; I appreciate it. Nothing big is changing, only the way the paragraphs are. I forgot how FF changes the way the paragraphs are spaced out and fixed it to make it easier to understand. Also fixed a slight typo.)

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The snow fell lightly. Looking at it would give anyone the illusion that the world was peaceful. It was hard to believe such a beautiful thing like snow could come from above. That above – where _he_ was. Different views lead to different outcomes. Destiny was truly the master of all, while Time fueled Destiny's power and Fate intervened whenever necessary, obeying rules of its own. Corruption distorted the mind of a once great hero, but he did not think of it as corruption. To him, it was wisdom. The voices in the boy's mind convinced him his goal for the world was virtuous and absolute. Sacrifice was necessary to achieve his goal and four thousand years didn't change his mind. When that happens, another hero must be born. He felt lead to be that hero.

A man sat restlessly in a wooden chair that creaked when weight shifted on it. Somehow sound seemed to intensify during the night and he was fully aware of it. Occasionally sighing to himself, he flipped through page after page in a book. Searching for a way to do the impossible wasn't easy; he knew that. But frustration wasn't avoidable. The pieces of the puzzle refused to fall into place. He had to find them himself. Endless knowledge waited to be discovered, but in terms of his old companion, there was no way he could understand. He only wanted to stop him, before there were any more victims like her.

He sighed once again and ran his fingers through his brown hair. A lone light on the table lit the small area where he stationed himself and conducted his research. Many more books sat to his side, stacked in a disheveled fashion. He had plenty of time, being impervious to fatigue. If he were alone, he'd probably be in a library consuming the knowledge held within the books. But, he had a reason to stay in an inn every night. Actually, two reasons.

His ears perked upon hearing a faint sound. It was the middle of the night – nothing should be moving. He turned his head soon enough to see a small boy approach his chair. The little boy yawned and wiped his sandy eyes before looking up at the man.

"Unable to sleep?" the man asked his younger visitor.

"Daddy, why you not sleep?" The little boy lifted his arms into the air, indicating he wanted to be picked up. His eyes shone in the dim light... the eyes of his father.

The man obeyed and lifted his child, setting the small boy on his lap. "If I could, I would, Lloyd," Kratos sighed. "But you should be asleep."

"Mommy sleepy." He pointed in the direction of the bed.

She was the reason. She was the one who opened his mind to another possibility of a world that was in a direct contrast Mithos' sick ideals. This human woman was truly an angel. How could one sacrifice an angel like her?

Anna lay in bed, drowsy from the morning's escape. She moaned slightly and turned over on her side, attempting to find a more comfortable sleeping position. She pulled up the sheets to cover her freezing body, stacked another pillow under her head, and settled down. Kratos was afraid she'd wake up.

"Yes, she is. Best not wake up."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Can we go outside?"

"For what purpose?"

"I wanna see da snow." Lloyd never got the chance to play in the snow. All he understood was their stay in Flanoir would be short. It was now or never until they were forced to flee from the mysterious bad guys his daddy seemed to be acquainted with, but was never friendly to.

Kratos smiled at the boy lightly and nodded with his eyes closed. "Very well."

Lloyd's face lightened. His voice squealed as he clapped his hands joyously at the thought of playing in the snow. He was stopped when Kratos gently grabbed three of his small fingers. "We mustn't wake Mommy."

The boy put his hand over his mouth, wide eyed, in an innocent way. "Sowee," he whispered.

Kratos sat Lloyd down on the floor before standing himself. He was three times his son's height. Lloyd loved it. Sometimes his small neck would become sore from surveying the magnificent tower of a man he believed his father was to him.

"You'll need adequate clothing."

Lloyd looked down and clutched his current attire: a blue pajama set with matching slippers, made from the thickest materials around for their stay in the snowy city. Anna insisted, or rather, demanded on warm clothing for Lloyd. Kratos needed none. He'd been through four thousand years of the fiercest climates.

As the boy changed into more suitable clothing, his father stretched and looked at his wife sleeping peacefully. In that moment, Time intervened and paused as he viewed what Fate allowed him to find and Destiny had plans for. She was so beautiful. Her long brown hair cascaded down her face, which moved as she breathed. Deep black eyes saw right through him. Despite their color, one usually associated with evil and negativity, they were the complete opposite: as warm as a bright summer's day when open. Her heart was just as wonderful and her smile could melt the frigid Flanoir snow. Kratos' reason for stealing her from Kvar was unclear, yet he sought not the answer. All that mattered was the fact he had her, and his journey to do the impossible ultimately came from her; she sparked the flame. A flame that would never go out.

Kratos licked his finger and separated a lone piece of paper from a stack on his desk after grabbing a writing utensil. He wrote a small note: "Out viewing the stars, be back soon. Sleep well." He picked up the note and thought of a place to leave it. Anna would flip if she woke up, her child and husband missing. Laughing to himself at the thought of her beginning a city wide search party, he stepped up to her bed, leaned onto the mattress, and set his knee on the edge. He supported his body weight on his leg. She didn't feel the shifted weight of the bed, just the way he wanted it. Gently, he moved her soft hair back and leaned in close enough before planting a soft kiss on her cheek. _Kissed by an angel_.

The snow fall had stopped by the time the two made it out of the inn. Their escape was successfully undetected by the sleeping beauty. Clouds ran away, leaving behind a deep navy blue sky filled with an infinite number of stars. _Too many for a mere human life to count_. All was quiet. Even to Kratos and his intensified, angelic hearing. This was the most amount of peace the family had had in a long time. The look on Lloyd's face from their last near escape from Kvar's men pained the man deeply. Seeing his son cry was just about as horrible as his wife crying, and even that tore at his heart, like a sharp knife through paper.

"Daddy!" Lloyd exclaimed as he jumped into the snow. "It so fluffy!"

"I see."

Lloyd ran around in circles, extremely assumed by what was common to the residents of Flanoir. But, he was more excited to be with his father.

Kratos stood near the door, keeping a close eye on his son. The boy didn't have a care in the world. If only he could enjoy his child's sense of ignorance and innocence. Sometimes the angel wish he knew nothing of Cruxis and Mithos' plans. Would it really have been better for him to die all those years ago?

Lloyd ran up to his father, reached up with his petite, gloved hands and tugged Kratos' arm feverishly. "Snow angels!" he demanded with a smile no one could resist. "Make a snow angel with me!"

Kratos chuckled and sighed. "Alright, alright. As you wish."

"Yay!"

Angels. A word twisted way out of context, thanks to a malicious half elf. They were no longer heavenly beings. No, they were lifeless beings. Demons with wings.

Lloyd and Kratos found a virgin patch of snow and sat down in it carefully. The boy's scarf had to be tightened to prevent snow from touching his delicate neck. At one point, Kratos nearly choked the boy, tying it until he complained of a headache. He didn't know his own strength.

They laid down in the snow, merely inches apart. Arms and legs spread apart, the pair proceeded to wave their appendages, back and forth. Snow flew all around and Lloyd's childish giggles made Kratos laugh, quietly at first, until it exploded into an uncontrollable overflow of heart felt emotions. He was rolling around in the snow with his son; what more could he ask?

"Okay!" Lloyd announced. He clapped his hands which made a muffled sound due to the gloves he wore. "Let's lookie at dem!"

Carefully, the two stood to their feet and viewed the work. Two figures, one half the side of the other, lay imprinted in the snow.

Kratos turned to his son and smiled. "Beautiful, Lloyd."

Lloyd stepped closer to his father and snuggled his legs, the highest point of Kratos he could reach. "Thankie, Daddy."

Somehow, Kratos pulled Lloyd away from the snow. The boy grew drowsy, but denied it whenever asked. He lay on his father's shoulder, nodding off frequently. They trekked the silent streets of Flanoir with no particular destination in mind. Kratos followed his feet, his footprints marking his journey.

Kratos stopped in front of a building, partially out of curiosity. The signs on the front door indicated it was a shop. A specialty shop. A candle danced to the mellow wind patterns in the window illuminated the fog crawling up the glass with a show of reddish-orange light. Upon closer inspection, he discovered the shop open. It was well past midnight; why would any shop be open?

His feet sought the answer once he decided to explore and entered the shop. The ringing of a bell signaled his arrival. A peculiar scent was in the air, but Kratos enjoyed it. His son still lay on his shoulder, most likely in a state of deep sleep by that time. His breathing was soft and pleasant, most likely having pleasant dreams about angels and the weightless complexity of the snow he made his mark in. The layout of the shop was normal. A counter in the back with chairs and tables. One table was occupied by a woman assumed to be doing work.

"Ah, a guest." The woman turned around and greeted the two. She was old; her hair cascaded down her face like a river of silver water. Even through the lack of light, one could tell her eyes were gentle and calm.

"Sorry to disturb you." He moved his son to the opposite arm.

"Not at all," she replied. "This is a jewelry shop. Feel free to look around."

To either side lay shelves lined with eye-catching ornaments and jewelry. Some were past their prime while fighting a losing battle against Time, rusting away, never to be wore or chosen. Hard to believe such items would be neglected. Even through the rust and dust, one could tell they once shone with an inevitable beauty.

Yet, there was one that caught Kratos' attention and refused to let go. On the second to right shelf, suspending off a wooden hook, a locket dangled. Swinging lightly, twirling like a dancer, under Gnome's gravity, making a small, yet dazzling light show as a candle's light reflected off its artistically engraved surface.

"Ah, I see you've found the Mother's Day locket."

"Hmm. Sounds familiar. It is a festival, right?" Kratos closed his eyes, digging deep into his four thousand year memories. Somewhere along the line, he'd heard of it before.

She nodded. "Yes, you are correct. The custom started many years ago; children bring their mothers a special gift once a year. I believe it started in a town called . . . ." Then she said it. The word that jogged his memory back into track. "Luin."

He knew a bit about Luin. Anna enjoyed talking about her home town, and he enjoyed listening. Her stories told a tale of happiness and deep breed memories of the home she once had before the Desians stole her away. Destiny called forth the Angelus project, Fate choose Anna, and Time slowly ticked away as the parasitic gem ate away mercilessly at the remains of her life. Though fully aware of it, she kept a smile. She smiled for everyone: all those who were dearly departed, the ones that lost hope. Her smile rekindled the hope of her husband's redemption.

"Take it," the woman said after Kratos had been staring at the locket. He was unaware of his thoughtless daze.

"Hmm," the seraph thought to himself, breaking out of his train of thought.

"The locket seems to have attracted you."

He rubbed his finger lightly against the top and opened it, revealing a compartment most likely intended for a picture. "How... much?" Kratos could no longer resist the temptation.

"Free of charge." The store owner waved her hand and smiled. The skin around her eye creased.

"Are you sure?" he replied.

"Yes. Consider it a present for the sleeping prince's mother." Lloyd moaned slightly over his father's shoulders.

"Thank you." He nodded and placed the locket around his neck. "I should depart. Good night."

The woman laughed. "I think it would be best to say 'Good Morning'."

True to the woman's words, morning had indeed taken over Flanoir. The sun glowed a bright yellow, peering over the skyline far off, even though it felt so close. The streets became more active. Shops opened up one by one, and life came to the snowy city. The smell of fresh fruits scented the sharp, cold air. Time once again began its monotone, unchanging cycle.

By this time, Lloyd was still fast asleep on his father's shoulder. His small arms gripped Kratos' neck, putting creasing in the collar of his purple uniform.

Kratos erected his blue transparent wings, tightened the grip on his son, and flew back to the inn. He was greeted by Noishe who lifted his head, waved his oversized doggy ears and whined happily.

Anna refused to believe Noishe was a dog. "Kratos," she said the first time she met the mammoth, four legged, hyperactive pet, "that is NOT a dog." She flicked her index finger towards the creature. He tilted his head to the side, whining curiously. It was around three hours after their escape from the ranch. Anna rested against a tree and caught her breath.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Kratos replied.

"Dogs are not green."

"He's..," He though to himself for a moment, "unique."

Anna sighed. "I must have been in that ranch too long." She shook her head.

Noishe walked over to Anna and sat beside her. "Whine!" He placed his head on her lap and flipped over on his back.

"He wants you to pet him," Kratos answered after Anna looked at him, utterly confused.

She scratched Noishe under his neck and rubbed his tummy. "Aww, he's kinda cute," she giggled. "How old is he?"

"My age, at least."

The woman looked up, eye brow raised. "... twenty-ish?" Anna asked. "This dog is twenty years old? Even in human years, that's old."

"No, I am not twenty years old."

"How... old ... are you then, if I may ask? I'd like to get more acquainted with my rescuer." Noishe flipped over on his side, demanding that Anna move her efforts towards his rib area. "Thank you again." She titled her head forward, causing the river of brown hair to cover her pink flushed cheeks. Kratos caught sight of it anyway.

"Hmm," he merely replied. "As for my age. . somewhere around four thousand years. Give or take a decade."

"Fou-fo-fo-fo-four? Thousand?" Anna choked. Her head jerked up violently.

"Explanations can wait. We should get moving; this area provides poor camouflage."

Kratos folded his arms and pulled his wings out.

Anna gasped. "An angel..." Her eyes widened and glued to his stance. "I've been rescued by an angel."

x x x x x x x x

His wife was awake by the time the pair got back. Still, she chose to keep the illusion of slumber and hopped back into bed before Kratos opened the door.

He stepped inside, inspecting the room for intruders. Her exsphere was important. Safety was of the essence.

Lloyd moaned a bit and shifted his weight. The heavy coat and thick scarf began to backfire. He was extremely warm.

Kratos loosen the scarf while sitting Lloyd on the edge of the bed. His shoes, coat, gloves, and hat proceeded and were neatly placed aside until they were needed again.

"Kratos..." Anna's voice was like music to his ears.

"You're awake."

"Yeah. Good morning," she replied.

"Good morning."

"Is everything okay?"

"All is well. Despite our current situation."

She looked down and sighed. "I was worried."

"I believe I left a note," Kratos remembered and pointed to the small table on the side of the bed. The notice was still there, obviously moved from its original location.

"Where did you go?" Although Kratos was known for disappearing during the night, sometimes with Lloyd, she still asked for his whereabouts. Anna was unable to resist it: it was the curse of Mother's Love.

"Outside. Lloyd desired to see the snow."

She smiled and reached over for her son, who was laying on his back, snoring softly. "He loves new things. Until he gets bored with them." Anna laughed to herself.

Kratos stood up and moved his son to another spot on the bed under the covers. He sat down closer to Anna and gazed into her eyes. Those bewitching eyes. They could see deeper than any magic lens.

"..." Anna blushed a light pink which elevated to a deep red in merely a few seconds later.

"I-I got something for you." Was Kratos blushing too?

He reached behind his head and removed the locket from his neck. Anna gasped, recognizing the type of locket it was. Memories flooded her mind – the ones before Fate, Destiny, and Time intervened in her simple life.

"You remembered?" Tears began to fall down her soft cheeks.

Kratos grabbed the ends of the locket and placed it around Anna's neck. Then, he moved in closer until his lips met her, and planted a kiss that was gentle at first, but quickly became more passionate as more than his lips were involved. "Happy Mother's Day, Anna."

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I liked the ending, so cute. Read and rate: you know the drill.


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